Farage sets time limit on when small boats crossing will end if Reform wins next election

Nigel Farage has pledged to stop small boat crossings in three months if Reform UK wins the next general election. The Reform UK leader revealed that he has struck an informal deal with a French politician who is tipped to run for the presidency to allow the Royal Navy to tow back rubber dinghies.

Mr Farage said that stopping the migrant crossings is “vital for several reasons”. He told Chopper’s Political Podcast on GB News: “To make women and girls safer in Britain. Two, as a matter of national security. Three, as something costing billions of pounds a year. But number four is even bigger than the first three – re-establishing trust between voters and Government.”

The Brexiteer went on: “The last six Prime Ministers have said publicly, on camera and to you, ‘if you come here illegally, you won’t be allowed to stay’. But the truth is, they are.

“So if Reform were to win the next general election, that is the thing we would have to solve in three months.”

Mr Farage said the UK would have to exit the European Convention on Human Rights.

He added: “We are going to have to crack on.”

The Clacton MP said he had discussed the issue with French politician Jordan Bardella, president of the right-wing National Rally.

He said: “I have sat with Jordan Bardella, who is odds on favourite to be the next premier in France.

“I took him for lunch in London. It was one of those lunches, the best French wines and some good food. The French – you got to look after them.

“And then sort of as pudding approached, I said, ‘well, I am very sorry, Jordan, but we’ve given you 800 million quid already, and this is before the next 660 million quid that’s been promised. I’m really sorry. Unless you stop this, I’m going to get the Royal Marines to tow boats back to France’.

“And it all went very quiet for a bit. Within an hour. He said, ‘I accept that. I get that’. Because, of course, can you imagine if you were a French property owner on the Northern French coast, what hell your life has been the last few years?”

It comes as more than 6,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year.